Dilepididae, Fuhrmann, 1907

Mariaux, Jean & Georgiev, Boyko B., 2020, Cestode parasites (Neodermata, Platyhelminthes) from Malaysian birds, with description of five new species, European Journal of Taxonomy 616, pp. 1-35 : 10

Dilepididae gen. sp.

Material examined

MALAYSIA • 1 spec. (in fragments); Selangor, University of Malaya’s Gombak Field Station ; 3.32° N, 101.77° E; 280–350 m a.s.l.; 11 Aug. 2010; no COI sequence successfully retrieved; MHNG-PLAT-121225 .

Host

Orthotomus sericeus Temminck, 1836 ( Passeriformes , Cisticolidae ).

Remarks

Our specimen is about 32 mm long, with a maximum width of 850. It consists of 64 proglottides which very rapidly become longer than wide. The anatomy is typical for a member of the Dilepididae : numerous testes (18–27) in one posterior field; irregularly alternating genital pores opening at anterior 20% of proglottis margin; unarmed cirrus; oval cirrus-sac reaching osmoregulatory canals; genital ducts passing between osmoregulatory canals; a large two-winged central ovary. Uterus is densely labyrinthine. Unfortunately, no scolex is available and a more precise identification is not possible. To our knowledge, no cestode had previously been reported from this host species or, indeed, from any of the 12 other species of tailorbirds.